Trude Stabu and Vivel Skarvatun have successfully completed their master theses, breathing new life into the historical park of Store Ullevål in Oslo. Their detailed research and innovative visualizations provide a vivid reconstruction of the park's grandeur around 1800, offering valuable insights into the legacy of John and Tina Collett.
Trude Stabu and Vivel Skarvatun have successfully completed their master theses, titled "Visualizing the Park Landscape of Store Ullevål: An Interpretation of John and Tina Collett's Garden," focuses on recreating the grandeur of the historical park at Store Ullevål, Oslo, around 1800. This thesis provides an invaluable window into the past, illustrating how the park may have appeared during its prime.
Trude and Vivel employed a comprehensive and multidisciplinary methodology, interpreting a wide range of historical sources such as maps, travel descriptions, paintings, photographs, and traces in the terrain. These elements were meticulously integrated into a developed interpretation plan and a 3D-model, offering a rationale for their aesthetic choices and emphasizing a unified visual representation of the garden's historical experience.
Their thesis is structured into several insightful parts. It begins with an examination of the current layout of the existing garden, highlighting the significant portions lost over the centuries. The historical context of Store Ullevål is then presented, focusing on the influential roles of John and Tina Collett and outlining trends in garden art history. The Colletts were renowned for hosting lavish garden parties, attracting both domestic and international elites. The garden featured magnificent elements such as temples, pavilions, grottos, a marble bath, a linden church, and a frigate with salute cannons. Melancholic music and mood-enhancing effects enriched the experiential aspects of these gatherings, while John Collett's contributions to agricultural knowledge and the prominence of Store Ullevål were significant.
The core of the thesis lies in the interpretation plan and 3D-model, which provide a comprehensive overview of the garden's organization and experience. Trude and Vivel aimed to represent the Colletts' vision of Store Ullevål, filling gaps where historical sources were lacking or imprecise with their extensive knowledge of garden history.
To fully appreciate the value and significance of the garden, one must view the complex through both historical and contemporary lenses. Trude Stabu and Vivel Skarvatun's work not only brings the past to life but also bridges it with the present, offering invaluable insights into the historical landscape of Store Ullevål.
Congratulations to Trude and Vivel on their outstanding achievement!